Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City solicitor outlines staffing gaps and reliance on outside counsel for complex litigation
Summary
The city solicitor said the law department faces multiple vacancies, will cut roughly a half position to hit a 3% reduction target, and that unfilled roles often translate into higher professional-services spending for outside counsel.
City Solicitor Steve Barnacotti (referred to in the hearing as Steve Barnacotti/Buena County) outlined his department’s FY26 request and staffing needs, saying the department’s proposed budget is roughly $404,488,207 (department-level figures given in context of the larger municipal budget discussion) and is primarily personnel-driven.
Barnacotti told the hearing the law department has a number of vacancies carried forward from FY25 and expects to reduce at least a half of a position as part of the 3% reduction exercise. He said several vacancies are in the paralegal and attorney ranks and that the department relies on a professional-services account to hire retired judges and outside counsel when conflicts, specialty expertise or workload shortfalls require it. He noted the recent hire of a retired judge, Eddie McDonough, to perform professional-service work.
Why it matters: The solicitor explained that if funded attorney positions remain vacant, the department often must shift money to its professional-services line to secure outside counsel — which can be costlier over time. Solicitor’s remarks emphasized the trade-off between in-house capacity and external counsel spending.
The solicitor also described an internal reorganization: the public records division was moved from the general legal services section to licensing and is now overseen by Deputy Solicitor Alicia Davies. The solicitor told the hearing he will convene team-based negotiations on settlement decisions so cases benefit from a range of expertise, and said the department is prioritizing recruitment for open roles.
Councilors pressed for reconciliation between staff counts and budgeted professional-services dollars; the solicitor and CFO said staffing and professional services are under active review and that funding would be adjusted to meet operational demands if positions cannot be filled.
